2007 Holiday Series - Race 5

Australia Day Saturday saw the last in the series of social runs for the Griffith Joggers on Scenic Hill, and regardless of the weather, things will be hotting up with the start of the Exies Bacchus Competition this weekend, leading up to the Exies Bacchus on the Lake on Easter Friday.

For the long course entrants, there will be a seven race series over six and ten kilometres, including a trial run around the lake on the official Bacchus course.

Meanwhile the short course entrants have a series of three kilometre runs and a trial run over the 5km Exies Bacchus course at the lake.

Although this week was social, there seemed to be a bit of Aussie pride and spirit on the hill this week, and there was a long string of finishers in the long course - no easy bunch finish this week.

Adam Johnson has made it clear that he is taking aim at an Australia Day / Good Friday double, last year finishing out of the top ten in the Exies Bacchus, but a definite for a single figure placing  this year, and a podium place with a little luck.

Johnson was in no mood for chatting about long weekend plans but pushed the pace and made his fellow starters suffer around the course.

His fourteen minute group overtook the field and claimed placings one to eight and most of those eight faces were showing pain.

Steven Joyce in second was the only one to stay close to Johnson, and Steven Graham was third almost another minute back leading Graeme Lyons, Teresa Burgess, Nicole Restagno, Stewart Wood and David Alpen in single file, until Ian Forrest and Keith McDonald upheld the honour of the early starters to sneak into the top ten.

Most Sociable prize went to the ten minute trio of David Slattery, Gary Signor and Nicole Dehnert, with help from twelve minute man Ben Chopping.

The short course honours went to the early starters this week as Matthew Fletcher was feeling  the spirit before the start and followed through to the achievement, ahead of Malachi Smith in his first run back after a few months absence, and Rebecca Rosato third.

There is plenty of rewards to run for in the coming competition for the competitive runners as well as the ones who only run for fun.

Two juniors have already qualified for the free 'marathon' shirt sponsored by the forklift people at Franks Service Centre for reaching 42.2km so far this year, and quite a few more will make it before the series is over, so there should be a good team look at the Bacchus.

At the same time many of the senior runners will be getting to their 100km mark to win a shirt from Orlando Wines.

Then for the really competitive there is the competition pointscore, and the line honours on Easter Friday, while a few will be content to unspectacularly clock up Wardle Waddle kilometres toward the annual award, but most of the Joggers will be winners just for being there each week.

Long Results

Short Results